


Approval Process

by Eturni



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Martim Week 2021 (The Magnus Archives), Martim week: family, Mentioned Danny Stoker, Mentioned Martin Blackwood's Mother, Nightmares, Psychological Trauma, Relationship Discussions, These two deserve a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29431449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eturni/pseuds/Eturni
Summary: For day 7 of Martim week: family (with a little hint of epiphany)Sometimes 5am after a nightmare is the best time to discuss what your partner's family might think of you.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25
Collections: Martim Week 2021





	Approval Process

The nightmares were rarer these days. A shock, honestly, given the extra trauma that the unknowing had piled on top of everything for Tim. He occasionally did still wake in the darkest hours of the morning, thrashing and sweating with a scream on his lips that always shredded itself in his throat before it could form a name.

It had put Tim off letting Martin stop over for a long time. Months down the line it felt like a stupid thing to be worried about, and not at the same time. He still worried that Martin wouldn’t say if it got too much, would bury it under the urge to take care of him, but mostly it felt okay. And honestly? The nightmares were rarer still on the nights he had the other in his bed and went to sleep with a beating heart close to his ear.

So he just put his energy into being grateful for how good Martin was as he took his hands and talked him down from the too-real memory replayed in his dreams.

Martin’s gentle reassurances and soft chatter eventually calmed his rabbiting heart and his thumbs carefully soothed away the tears from his cheeks as they came. By the time he was no longer wound as tight as a spring it was almost half five.

“You could try and get some more sleep. Still got… an hour and a bit,” he offered, voice still thick and rough.

“Maybe. Don’t mind just sitting and talking for a while. See if we drop off on our own,” he smiled back. Obvious code for ‘I’m only sleeping if I see you go first’. 

There was stillness in the room for a moment as Martin seemed to weigh up what he could say. “Do you think he’d have approved of me? Y’know, if we’d had the chance to meet?”

Tim smiled wryly, bringing their joined hands up to absently kiss at the back of Martin’s. “I don’t think he’d have cared? If that makes sense. Think as long as I was happy… hell, he probably wouldn’t have even realised at first. I haven’t had a lot of properly serious relationships and he always had something on taking him all over the place. Honestly, I’d have probably ended up putting bets on with you about how long it took him to realise you were the same guy.”

The edge of pain was still there, millions of ‘what ifs’ that never got to be lived out, and Martin pressed a kiss to the top of his head before letting his cheek rest there comfortably. “So what, you’d just have me walk past during video calls and wait to see how long it took him to twig?”

Tim laughed, and this time the sound didn’t have the residual wetness of tears being held down. “If he was focussed enough on a new project I’d probably be asking for kisses and still bet he’d miss it the first few times. I mean, eventually, when he got used to your face he’d realise you weren’t going away… probably.”

“Probably?”

“Yeah, he could be a bit cagey about those sorts of things. I’m pretty close with my friends and I don’t think he ever got entirely over the hilarious roasting he got when he thought I was dating one of my friends.”

Martin did laugh at that, brushing his thumb over the back of Tim’s hand and carefully taking in how he seemed to be doing. Better, he decided. Not best, but better.

“Think clothes sharing would tip him off?”

“Mmm, I do tend to steal hoodies and jumpers anyway. Maybe if it was pants?”

“Pet names?”

“Nah! I’m fucking adorable, everyone gives me pet names.”

“Alright, calm down there Cassanova. Hmmm… how about… I dunno? Strategically leaving from your bedroom in the middle of a call?”   
  
Tim snorted. “There is no way in hell I could have convinced you to do that on a call to  _ my own brother _ .”

Martin hummed thoughtfully again. “Oh, I don’t know. I think it depends how many months we got through without the penny dropping. I think I’d be too curious  _ not _ to.”

“Alright, alright, but then he’d at least  _ ask _ and then where would you be? Artfully sleep-rumpled and realising that you thought you were in on a joke but now have definitely confirmed that we’re sleeping together?”

“Ah, yep. Yeah, I can see why that might not be the best thing actually,” he nodded, blushing to the roots at a scenario that never had a chance of happening.

And there was that familiar weight again. The burn at the back of his eyes at the vicious unfairness of it all. He turned his head to burrow into Martin’s side as though it could chase away the crushing pressure on his chest for just a few minutes more.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured, softly drawing Tim in closer still until the crush of his arms and the pressure inside could almost be the same thing.

He took a few moments there to take deep breaths until he could do it without his chest trying to stutter around sobs. Eventually he nodded and Martin’s arm eased, just a little. He was still close and warm and held, and it was a little bit easier. Even if it was always going to be hard.

“What about your mum? Think she’d approve if you told her?” He asked, grasping out for the first topic that came to mind. It wasn't until Martin went very carefully still that he realised what a shitty thing it had possibly been to ask.

He tried to pull away, so he could look at Martin properly and apologise, but his arm tightened all over again and kept Tim pinned there.

“I don’t think  _ I _ care,” he finally answered, as though the words were a surprise to him as well. “I- she doesn’t really approve of much of anything I do an- and I guess I always wanted something like that. For her to actually think something I did o-or chose for myself was  _ good enough _ but- but I think it doesn’t matter if it’s you? Because it’s you, you know?”

For all the awkwardness Tim did think he got it. To be put up somewhere even that woman’s acid words couldn’t reach… “Martin Blackwood, I think that’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“Oh shove off Tim,” Martin tutted, shoving his shoulder for better effect.

“What? I’m not joking. I see how much she gets to you, I’m not blind. You come back most Tuesdays looking torn down after visiting her. Being the one thing that’s exempt from her wrath is… pretty good actually.”

Martin frowned, and Tim could just  _ see _ that he was about to start defending her and her behaviour. “Look, hey, I’m calling it a win, alright? Promise I won’t say anything else about her temper but I notice it. I notice  _ you _ .”

He sighed, the fight draining out of him, replaced with a grateful half-smile. “Yeah, I know you do. Mad, that, really.”

“What can I say? I’ve got a discerning eye, especially for writers and poets. All that time in publishing. You can’t wallflower your way out of my notice.”

Martin’s blush was well worth whatever flak he might catch later. “I think you’re right though. It… if any of them were still around it would have been  _ nice _ if they approved, but I don’t think I’d need it. Not for you.”

“Love you too,” Martin smiled, face twisted up in a complicated little smile as he leaned in to brush their lips together, in a kiss careful of the salt still on his lips and the terror still buzzing at the edges of his skin.

Sometimes it wasn’t so much of a wonder that the nightmares didn’t come as often these days.


End file.
